Viktor Burić

Viktor Burić (6 September 1897 – 20 August 1983) was a Croatian archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church.

His Eminence Viktor Burić
Archbishop of Rijeka-Senj
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Rijenka-Senj
Appointed	20 August 1969
Term ended	18 April 1974
Predecessor	Ugo Camozzo
Successor	Josip Pavlišić
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Senj-Modruš (1935-1969)
Orders
Ordination	27 June 1920 (Priest)
Consecration	21 July 1935 (Bishop) by Anton Bauer
Personal details
Born	6 September 1897 Kraljevica, Austro-Hungarian Empire (present day in Croatia)
Died	20 August 1983(1983-08-20) (aged 85) Rijeka, SFR Yugoslavia (present day in Croatia)

Life

Viktor Burić was born in Rijeka, Croatia, on 6 September 1897, and was ordained on 27 June 1920.^[1] Monsignor Burić served as secretary for Bishop, Mgr. Starcevic.^[2]

In 1935 the dioceses of Senj and Modrussa were joined, with Modrussa retaining certain prerogatives. Burič was appointed Bishop of Senj-Modruš, and was consecrated in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Zagreb by the Archbishop of Zagreb, Mgr. Bauer assisted by the Bishop of Veglia. The solemn enthronement in Senj was followed by a Pontifical Mass sung in Old Slovenian, with the Epistle and Gospel in the vernacular Croat. There was a separate ceremony later of enthronement as Bishop of Modrussa.^[2] He served as bishop for 33 years.^[1]

He was appointed Archbishop of Rijeka in 1969, and served until his retirement in 1974.^[1] He died in 1983 at the age of 85.^[1]

Views

Viktor Burić supported the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) probably because of its strict espousal of Roman Catholicism as its state religion.^[3] Later, he supported the Communist government of Yugoslavia for its friendly stance towards the Vatican.^[4] Theologically, he was quite conservative. He suspended liberal Croatian priest, Fr. Tihomir Zovko, for creating a lay group with the purpose of discussing priestly celibacy and democracy inside the Church.^[4]